These are the words Karl Rove used to set off a firestorm among his the GOP faithful this week, as he tested the waters with a new plan to destroy the Democrats through even more nefarious means.

Everyone knows Dems love appetizers, so it was no surprise that Karl and his Crossroads Cronies decided to attack us where they thing they can hurt us most — right in our hors d’oevre. There’s one thing Karl wasn’t thinking though — we’ve been cooking up a little surprise of our own for the GOP, and this Saturday we’re setting the table for battle.

What’s more certain in the new year for Coloradans than a Denver Broncos loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday? Political ads.

Among a handful of swing states nationwide in the presidential election, Colorado is sure to receive an overflow of ads on both the airwaves and TV screens — something that residents in early caucus and primary states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina have experienced for months.

American Crossroads, a Republican 527 group, and the Democratic National Committee have already made Colorado one of the biggest television advertisement battlegrounds, according to a Washington Post graphic tracking weekly and total ad spending for the 2012 presidential race by candidate, PAC and interest groups.

President Barack Obama will do a second speech in Denver Wednesday on the American Jobs Act.

WASHINGTON — Crossroads GPS has dumped almost $300,000 in Colorado television commercials pitting former president Bill Clinton with current president Obama, using a clip of Clinton saying now is a bad time to raise taxes.

The ad is running in other crucial swings like Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

It intones “two presidents and two visions” and uses clips of Obama talking about the American Jobs Act and an interview with Clinton saying it is not the time to raise taxes. Under the Jobs Act, the White House says taxes do not increase on the vast majority of Americans or small businesses.

“President Obama has launched a tax attack on American jobs that hits Main Street businesses, home mortgages, school and road repair funds and even charities,” said Crossroads GPS president and CEO Steven Law, in a statement. “Former President Clinton and bipartisan majorities in Congress agree that Obama’s tax hikes won’t solve the problem.”

The Obama for America campaign would not respond to the ad. But a Clinton spokesman issued a statement from the former president that said the ad was incorrect.

“I believe that it’s only fair to ask those of us in high-income groups — who have received the primary benefits of the last decade’s economic growth and the majority of its tax cuts as well — to contribute to solving our long term debt problem,” Clinton said, referring to the billionaire financier Warren Buffett who is in the top 1 percent of the income bracket.

“What I did say was that the “Buffett Rule” cannot solve the problem alone,” Clinton said. “Reducing the debt requires three things: more economic growth, more spending cuts, and more revenue. Right now, the most important thing is to put America back to work. That’s why I support the American Jobs Act.”

Update: Bill Burton of Priorities USA Action, weighs in on Rove & Co.: “The billionaires and oil companies funding these ads are desperate to stop President Obama’s plan that would ask them to pay their fair share in taxes to reduce our debt and create jobs.”

A conservative group today unveiled a new TV ad in Colorado that rips President Obama, who will be in Denver tonight and tomorrow morning.

American Crossroads, founded by operative Karl Rove, says the ad is part of its “continuing campaign to aggressively counter President Obama’s efforts to sell his second stimulus plan at state and local events.”

The ad is scheduled to run today and tomorrow in the Denver market, with an ad buy of $50,000, said American Crossroads spokesman Nate Hodson. It features a clip of President Clinton saying higher taxes aren’t the answer.

But Priorities USA Action. the group formed to counter American Crossroads, railed against the attacks on Obama.

Democrats are out with their own Spanish-language ad, which praises President Obama and accuses Republicans of wanting to sacrifice Medicare to pay for tax cuts for the super wealthy.

In addition to Denver, the ads will run in the following media markets: Reno, Las Vegas, Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Albuquerque, and Washington D.C., according to the Democratic National Committee.

“What the country needs is the continued leadership of President Obama, who is focused like a laser on creating jobs and moving our country forward,” DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in a statement.

The ads are aimed at countering Spanish commercials from American Crossroads GPS, an arm of a conservative third party organization connected to Karl Rove.

The foundation report found that the race between Democrat Michael Bennet and Republican Ken Buck and drew more than $30 million and, with primary spending included, the figure jumped to $32.78 million.

Lynn Bartels thinks politics is like sports but without the big salaries and protective cups. The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog has named her one of Colorado's best political reporters and tweeters.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.